Apparatus presently exists for handling, counting and stacking sheets such as paper currency, checks, food stamps and the like. One apparatus which is highly advantageous for counting and stacking sheets is described in copending application Ser. No. 449,665 filed Dec. 14, 1982, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,518 issued Oct. 3, 1986 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The above-mentioned copending application employs a technique for accurately controlling the feeding of sheets to the outfeed stacker, which technique is required in order to perform batching and/or counterfeit detection operations. The technique employed in the above-mentioned copending application utilizes electromagnetic brake and clutch mechanisms to perform the above-identified operations.
The apparatus of the above-mentioned copending application employs a feed roller and cooperating stripper shoes for feeding sheets one at a time through the sensing and counting devices. It has been found that the mechanism employed for feeding and stripping sheets has the disadvantages of causing damage to the edges of the sheets as well as causing streaking and/or scuffing of the sheets, and especially stiff new sheets such as new paper currency